Deception II
by mayzee
Summary: Sequel to Deception (AU) set two years later. A mysterious stranger bearing surprising news arrives as Jane and Lisbon negotiate the advance of their relationship. And does what happens next relate to their presence or are there more sinister forces at play? Reviews, as ever, are much appreciated. Multichapter.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So here I am at last starting a sequel to one of my own personal favourites (I'm hoping for a similar tone to the original but anyone who follows me probably knows I do like my angst at times so be aware!).** **I'm hoping to challenge myself once I complete Reconnect & update Broken to update this story more frequently than I have of late but for now I thought I'd publish a little taster.**

 **For those who haven't read Deception I have included a very quick summary of how that concluded in the first chapter below so it's not required to read the original to make sense of this story (but it might prove helpful to read the last couple of chapters if you wish to understand where the characters finished up). But really all you need to know is that Jane and Lisbon are together in this AU universe and are working together for the FBI (but still based in Sacramento, not Austin). Oh...and they also have a rather clever golden retriever named Victor.  
**

* * *

Deception II

Chapter 1

She wrapped her legs around his torso, encouraging him to thrust deeper. He grunted gutturally as he did so, beads of sweat turning the lines of his tanned face into glistening trenches. Her arms circled his neck and she tugged on his golden curls to bring his lips to hers. She kissed him, her mouth hot and hungry as her tongue fluttered against his, dancing wildly together for seconds.

"Patrick!" she murmured in a half sigh, in that tone of hers that made him grin, the one he knew meant she was close.

He pushed deeper, faster, harder until he felt her fingernails scratch the back of his neck and silence replace her pants.

As she orgasmed he quickened his pace, rushing at full speed to join her. She read his intentions immediately and encouraged him, tightening her hold on him until he groaned in delight as he released inside her.

Jane flopped back to the other side of the bed moments later. "So," he began, taking a deep breath, "how _was_ that training course of yours, anyway? What was it again? Advanced covert manoeuvres?"

Lisbon laughed as she turned her head towards him. " _Now_ you want to ask me how it went, huh?"

He turned to lie on his side facing her and pecked her lips with a cheeky grin full of satisfaction. "You never gave me the chance to ask you sooner, woman. You ravished me as soon as you came home."

"You are such a liar," she grinned. "Just for that, I might tell you exactly how it went. _In detail."_

He made a face and moaned theatrically. "Keep it for bedtime, then, darling. Hearing about how you play grown up hide and go seek will send me straight off to dreamland later on."

She whacked him with a pillow playfully (earning her the obligatory _ow_ in response) before she settled her head against his bare chest with a sigh of contentment. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you," he said softly. "Four days is much too long to rattle around here with just Victor for company."

She smiled and kissed his chest. "Missed you too. When will he be back? I missed him as well."

Jane stretched until he could see the clock on the nightstand. "Another hour or so." He cuddled her again and closed his eyes. He yawned, "Still time for some more relaxing."

She threw a leg over his thigh and nestled further into his arms. "Mhm, sounds good to me. Can't remember the last time we've had a lazy afternoon together just the two of us."

"Lazy? I'd hardly call what we just did in any way lazy," he chuckled. "Don't tell me I'm losing my touch after two years together."

She giggled, "You know what I mean. Work has been crazy lately."

He began to draw slow patterns on her back as they rested in silence, eyes closed. Then, after a moment or two, he asked quietly, "So...that question I asked you at the beginning of the year...have you thought much about it lately?"

Her head whipped up to face him again. Panicked, "Uh...I-I thought we both decided it was too soon to talk about... _that_ step."

He smiled gently at her. "No. What _you_ decided was that it was too soon to discuss marriage. And then _you_ said we should talk about it again in six months time." He motioned to the open window in their bedroom, a gentle summer's breeze rattling through the closed wooden slats. "Summer is here, Teresa. Six months passed a fortnight ago."

Her gaze shifted to the window and a line appeared between her eyes. "Oh." A pink flush came to her cheeks. "I hadn't realised..."

As her voice trailed off, Jane said, "Look, I'm not pressurising you into something if you're not ready. But...but we've been together for some time now. Don't you think it's time we talked about it? Or...or talked about why you're so reticent to be my wife at the very least?"

"I'm not!" she replied immediately, her tone defensive. She took a breath. "I just...well, you just surprised me by suddenly bringing it up like that out of the blue."

"Yes, perhaps it was sudden and maybe you had a point the first time I mentioned it. Hence why you wanted the six months so you had time for the idea to...gestate. By your reaction, I guess you haven't thought about it all, though, have you?"

"Of course I have!" Redness crept over her collarbone. "I mean after you mentioned it, of course, I thought about it. But then work got so crazy with Abbott sending me on all these management training courses never mind trying to get myself up to speed on working for the FBI. It might seem the same to you but it's a world apart from the CBI. Plus, I've had to become acquainted with and and mentor a brand new team. I mean, Wylie's great technically but he's still green where field work is concerned. And Vega is just out of the Academy. It's a big change from Rigsby and Van Pelt. And it's not like I even have Cho anymore, either. It takes time and hard work to get a team to gel, Patrick-"

"Hey," he interrupted her tirade with a soft smile. "I know you've been busy. We both have. I'm not saying otherwise and you don't need to justify what you've been doing to me. I live and work with you, remember? I know how hard you work and how hard it's been since...well since everything changed eighteen months ago."

She swallowed as they shared a look, each remembering how Red John had made them cross paths in the first place and their falling in love while they hunted him as the serial killer's obsession with Lisbon became more unhinged and personal. Red John's death had sparked a myriad of changes for them both.

First off, the CBI had been swallowed up by the FBI as Lisbon's boss and de facto father figure Minelli had retired and been replaced by Dennis Abbott of the FBI.

Cho had completed his training at Quantico and had recently moved to San Francisco to manage a team of his own.

Rigsby and Van Pelt had married and started their own Investigative Practice when Grace soon fell pregnant with their first child, both preferring to work mostly from home and their own hours than eighty hour weeks as FBI agents.

Lisbon had also eventually gained a new friend in the form of Kim Fischer, a woman of the same no-nonsense attitude as herself. Jane had chided Kim initially and still did occasionally for his own amusement when bored, delighting in winding her up and helping her make a fool of herself before she was unaccustomed to his more devious machinations. Lisbon had felt sorry for her new colleague and, months later, often wondered if he had treated Kim quite so abominably, in the beginning, to make a friendship grow between the two women over a shared kinship. He knew his girlfriend had little to none female friends, after all. But she'd never know his plan, she'd realised soon enough. She'd asked Jane one evening that question and all she'd received back was an enigmatic smile as he turned a page in a book he was reading.

Patrick Jane loved her dearly and was not afraid of telling her that every day. But, on the flipside, he still liked to keep some things close to his chest He said that a soupcon of mystery was good for a relationship. While that depended on the mystery she'd responded back firmly to that remark she had to admit that a part of her liked that he still sometimes kept her guessing and on her toes.

With Kim, it had been a shaky start as Fischer had expected a promotion on her relocation to Sacramento and was already one of Abbott's people when she arrived. But he'd chosen Lisbon over her to lead the FBI Serious Crimes Unit in California. He'd cited that she knew the key players better and had wanted the transition from CBI to FBI to go as smoothly as possible with local law makers and law enforcement. It had been a shrewd move as early cases where local sheriff departments may have stymied an FBI presence Lisbon, who they knew and, albeit sometimes begrudgingly, had accepted as a person who could provide results, could be called upon to smooth waters. Of course, if they had known they would also gain a new FBI consultant in the form of Patrick Jane as well as the steadying hand of Lisbon they may not have accepted the changeover quite as quickly as they had initially.

Personally, there were quite some changes too.

After Red John's death, Jane and Lisbon had lived in Jane's apartment for a few months with Victor, the golden retriever who was once Jane's sole responsibility and now firmly 'their' dog. The apartment was small, though, for two adults (not to mention a sometimes hyperactive dog who, at times, still acted like an overgrown puppy) who were so used to living alone for many years.

Soon after they moved in together some niggling disagreements had turned into silent sulks and shouting matches over the smallest matters, especially when preceded by a long day at work where Jane had played mischief maker to incite a confession or two and where Lisbon had done everything in her power to rein in his shenanigans.

More fresh air was required Jane had theatrically announced over a quiet breakfast one Sunday morning and they had recently rented a detached house in a tree lined avenue with a lawn front and back in Sacramento. As they sipped on some wine together on the stairs of the back of the wraparound porch and watched Victor delightedly chase a ball in the enclosed rear garden they had clinked their glasses as the tension of living in such close quarters for months began to slowly ebb away.

Upstairs, each had commandeered a bedroom to use as a home office for when they needed their own space after particularly long stressful days crime fighting together. Jane had turned his into more of a music come reading room while Lisbon's was more of an extension of her office at work. A shared master suite along with a comfortable and cosy kitchen/dining area completed the property.

Jane's next words brought Lisbon out of their thoughts.

"Look, if you don't think marriage is for you-"

"I never said that!"

She sighed and moved to the edge of the bed and picked up her ruby blouse that had been carelessly thrown to the floor as they'd hurried to undress an hour before.

He rubbed the small of her back. "Just tell me what it is, Teresa. What can I do-"

She turned to face him, tears in her eyes. She whispered, "I-I don't know what it is, that's just it, Patrick. I love you so much and you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I should be shouting it from the rooftops the fact you want to marry me. I _know_ I'm lucky."

"But?" he pressed, frowning.

She exhaled. "But every time I think about it I want to think about something else. _Anything_ else. I-I feel like I can't breathe or something."

"Hm. I've heard of pre-wedding jitters but never post proposal jitters before." He attempted lightness in his tone but he couldn't keep the hurt out of it.

She took his hand. "Have some patience, please? Until I can figure this out and stop being an idiot."

He bent over and kissed her softly. "Of course, my dear."

She smiled and got off the bed, throwing their clothes scattered over their bedroom floor in the laundry basket. "So, how about houses? You find anywhere you want us to buy yet?" she asked him brightly.

He yawned loudly. "Yes, actually."

She turned quickly with a surprised smile as she tied her short while terrycloth robe around her waist. "Really? I was starting to think you'd never find anywhere and we'd be stuck here renting for years."

He smiled at her comment, slightly mollified. Commitment to him wasn't the problem, then, obviously - just marriage to him. She was a mystery to him since he'd met her and still was more times than not. "You make me sound like I'm hard to please or something."

She raised an eyebrow as she came back to sit on the bed. "I wonder why? You've only looked at twenty properties or so this past month and found something wrong with each one of them." She ruffled his fair curls and teased him, "Maybe I should start calling you Goldilocks."

"Not if you value all the things I do for you around here and at the office, you won't." He tugged on the tie on her robe and brought her lips to his for an earth shattering kiss.

When they separated she asked, "So? Have you got a brochure for me to look at?"

He grinned, opened the drawer on the nightstand and removed a white folder. Lisbon opened it with excitement as he watched her. Her expression turned from enthusiasm to baffled within a second as she turned over photograph after photograph. "Patrick...where's the house?" she asked him slowly, suspicion creeping into her tone.

He pulled himself up to sit against the headboard. He smiled his best charming smile. "I'm glad you asked me that-"

"No," she said, slamming the folder shut and shoving it back towards him. "We talked about this. No housebuilding. You agreed!"

Calmly, "If you recall what I actually said was that I would do my best to find us a house I'd be happy to live in within Sacramento city limits. But unfortunately, I could not."

"Seriously? You can't find a house for us? Of all the properties for sale, you can't find one? I'll tell you what, _I'll_ start looking-"

"No."

"No?"

"No. You said...and I'll quote you verbatim...'I don't have time to look at goddamned houses every minute I'm free. YOU do it. You're better at that stuff than I am, anyway. You know better than me what I like and what I hate. And I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than look at someone's old ratty carpets day in day out'."

He stared at her triumphantly.

"But-"

It was a pain in the ass having a boyfriend with his own memory palace sometimes.

"No more buts. I promise you're gonna love it when it's finished. When have I ever steered you wrong?"

"Recently?" she scoffed.

He licked his lips. "Let's leave work out of it, shall we?" He turned his tone softer and more pleading. "Please, Teresa, it's the only place I've seen I've fallen in love with. And I know you'll love it too. Just trust me. And think of all that outdoor space for Victor. And there's a duck pond on the property-"

"And why do we need a duck pond, exactly?"

Quizzically, "To feed the ducks, what else?"

She rolled her eyes as she opened the folder that was lying in his lap again. Her eyes strayed to the calming green fields, the cute pond. It was idyllic and looked a beautiful place to relax. She looked into his expectant and loving eyes. "How much does it cost? It says there are five acres. That amount of land in California isn't cheap."

"Meh, don't worry about that. We can afford it."

"You mean _you_ can afford it."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, if you actually agreed to be my wife then it would be _us_. Just because I can't get a damn ring on your finger and make an honest woman out of you shouldn't mean I have to be penalised, does it?"

"Patrick, we talked about this too-"

Determinedly, "Yes. And we said we'd split the house cost between us." He tapped on a photograph of a green field. "And if you look here there is no house – just the land to build it on."

"That's just a loophole and you know it."

He smirked at her victoriously.

She shook her head and looked at the photographs again. "You really want this?" she asked him softly. "You must do to resort to such petty manipulation."

"I do," he smiled.

She shook her head with an exhale and a small smile in return. "Okay, then, I'll take a look-"

As he grabbed her face and kissed her she drew back quickly. "But you're in charge of this? This is your project if I decide I'm in!"

"I wouldn't want it any other way," he grinned.

Realising she'd just inadvertently given him carte blanche to build whatever house he wanted and recalling the extravagant Malibu mansion he'd owned when they'd met she added, "But on one condition!"

"Which is?"

"We split the house costs evenly as agreed. Just in case you decide to go crazy and decide you want to build a castle or something."

He kissed her with a smile. "Fine. No castles." He winked at her, "Perhaps just a medium sized chateau."

She got off the bed again with a shake of her head and he pulled her hand to stop her walking away. "Hey, thank you," he said sincerely.

She bent down and kissed him slowly. When she withdrew her lips she said sweetly but assuredly as if he was a suspect in an interrogation, "And don't think I don't know why you chose that exact moment to bring up marriage again. You knew I'd give in on the property that way, didn't you? That I couldn't very well say no to both."

He shrugged. "Maybe I just hoped you'd say yes to both."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Surprise

"Come on, Vic!" Lisbon shouted later that day as she dawdled by Jane's Citroen. Her hand brushed over the smooth metal and her cheeks dimpled immediately of their own accord. She'd never tell him that she quite liked his old contraption now. Although he probably already knew by the knowing smile that greeted her as she withdrew her hand at lightning speed and put her face into neutral as he came outside and waited at the porch steps. Victor bounded behind then past him to greet her with laughing brown eyes like he'd done only two hours before when he'd arrived back from a day helping the Narcotics team at Sacramento airport. He jumped up on her with a loud bark and she laughed as she patted his head as Jane locked up and ambled towards them at an easy pace.

"I only saw you five seconds ago!" She tickled the back of Victor's ear with a grin. "Don't worry, no more trips away in the foreseeable future, I promise," she added lovingly.

"Sounds like excellent news to me," Jane supplied, opening the doors for them to jump in.

As he put the key in the ignition he furrowed his brow slightly as he noticed a figure standing on the other side of the street dressed in a long black coat who appeared to be watching them. Their face obscured as their head dipped forward he couldn't see their face clearly. As he was about to mention his observation to Lisbon - who was still being distracted by a rather enthusiastic dog in the back seat - they turned quickly on their heels and walked away from the property, a cell phone at their ear.

He could have sworn he'd seen the same person in the nearby dog park he'd visited the day before. It was most likely just a new neighbour making or taking a call as they went for an evening stroll. But then surely a dog owner would walk their dog in the evening? Or why would a person without a dog be at a dog park? Dog sitter, perhaps? Something more sinister? Or was he just being paranoid because he worked with cops now?

"Hey, what has you thinking so hard?" Lisbon said, jarring him out of his meanderings. "Are we going to see this land you want to buy or not?"

He smiled effortlessly. No point in making them both paranoid when it most probably was nothing.

"Huh?" He added with a wink as he put his foot on the gas, "I was just thinking that I hope Abbott doesn't punish you too much when you go back to work tomorrow for a few of my rather brilliant schemes while you were away. Because then it means I will be punished by you, in return. And we've had such a lovely time celebrating your homecoming so far."

"Oh, god," she grimaced, "What the hell did you do now that I have to clean up?"

He chuckled as he turned his car into the road.

* * *

"So?" he asked as they sat on a log overlooking the duck pond that now appeared to be more of a lake when they looked at it in actuality.

Dusk was forming fast and the soft chirrup or grasshoppers, birds singing their last chorus of the day and the smell of dew in the air surrounded them. If Lisbon had thought it possible at all she would have sworn Jane had flown in the perfect ambience especially for their visit. A part of her wasn't entirely convinced he hadn't.

"You know what already," she stated rather glumly. "That smugness in your tone just saying that one word said it all."

He laughed softly as Victor approached with a stick in his mouth, his tail in overdrive. Jane took it from him and lobbed it away again, their dog interrupting the tranquil atmosphere with a serious of short barks as he went to fetch it.

"It's goddamned beautiful," Lisbon continued with a shake of her head.

"How eloquently put, darling. You ever think of writing poetry?"

She laughed and linked her arm through his as she nudged his shoulder. "How'd you even find this place in Sacramento?"

"I have my ways."

"Charming every realtor in town, huh?"

He kissed the top of her head. "Worked, didn't it?"

She laughed and kissed him softly. "Okay, put in an offer."

He grinned and kissed her back. "I'll do it first thing in the morning."

She nodded and they enjoyed the peace and quiet for a few seconds. Then she scrunched her face up. Still looking at the lake she stated calmly, "You already bought it, didn't you?"

Meekly, "Ah-"

She rolled her eyes. "I knew it."

* * *

"You ready to go?" Lisbon asked as they stood in their kitchen the next morning as she picked up her travel cup of coffee.

Jane shook his head as he swallowed a bite of toast. "No, you go on. I'm going to call the realtor, get the paperwork signed off. I'll drop by the office lunchtime."

"It's not supposed to be a drop-in centre, you know, Patrick. It's a place of work."

He pecked her lips with a smile. "For you, my dear. I am but a lowly consultant, not lofty FBI agent."

She rolled her eyes. Petulantly, "Doesn't mean you can just choose your own hours."

"No? Who says?" he teased with a grin as he sipped on his tea.

She gathered up her bag as she muttered, "It's unprofessional."

"I never said I was a professional."

"You're just afraid I'm going to let you have it in front of everyone when Abbott tells me what you've been doing to close cases while I've been on my course."

"Why would that bother me? I like it when you get all authoritarian on me." He added, "If anything, you should be mad at Abbott, not me. He is supposed to handle my complaints as we're in a personal relationship, not you. If anything, he's crossing boundaries, not me."

She pinned him with a steely gaze. "You know, it would just be easier all round if you didn't provoke so many complaints in the first place. Ever think of that, boy wonder?"

He grinned. "Now, where's the fun in that for me? To have my talents reined in like that? I have to follow my own path, Teresa, not be a tool for tiresome federal bureaucracy with all its dreary politically correct rules and dreary machinations."

"Tool, right," she mumbled with her back turned to him as she slid on her leather jacket.

She turned to him again. Louder, "I thought you bought the land already, anyway?"

"Still have some paperwork to sign."

"All right," she sighed. She pecked his lips. "I'll see you later on at the office, then." She nodded to Victor who was standing beside her expectantly after noticing she was about to leave. She stroked his head as she spoke to Jane. "You want me to bring him in? I'm sure Narcotics could use him again."

"Nah, I'll take him with me this morning. Don't want him to become a cog in the machine like you have."

"Fine," she laughed. "You and Victor go plot your revolution to overthrow our system of government while I go do some actual detective work."

* * *

Jane slipped Victor off his leash at the dog park he frequented. Victor immediately scurried off with bright brown eyes and his golden coat swishing as he leapt forward to the lush green area in its centre. Jane settled on a bench and for five minutes gave the appearance of a man entirely consumed by watching the display of canines in various poses of sniffing, scampering and scratching before him.

What wasn't noticeable as he kept his head facing forward was the shift of his vision to the park's periphery. He had positioned himself on a bench that had a view of the paths on both sides and the two rows perpendicular. With a slight narrowing of his eyes, he saw the figure from the evening before taking up a seat at the far end of the park, exactly where he'd noticed them sit just a couple of days before. Almost obscured by a large oak tree it had taken him to appear to look from side to side as if checking Victor's position to confirm it was definitely the same person he'd seen the night before.

He got to his feet with an ostensibly relaxed stretch of his arms and strolled over to a young woman who was standing on the edge of the grass just in front of him, a row of dog leashes in her hand.

"Excuse me, Alice, right?" he asked the bespectacled twenty-something, her brunette hair tied up in a ponytail.

She turned to see his dazzling smile and smiled back immediately, blushing slightly. "Y-Yes. Uh, Patrick, isn't it?"

He shot her another megawatt smile as she glanced over his shoulder, no doubt looking for his girlfriend who often accompanied him. "Yes, good memory. Would you mind doing me a favour?"

"N-No of course not. Anything. Anything at all. I-I mean...what is it?"

He ignored the slight sweating in the palms of her hands as she smoothed them on her jeans and how her breath hitched as she spoke to him. He was a good ten to fifteen years older than her and very happily in love with his girlfriend but it was nice to know he could still make someone's heart rate pick up when he turned on his charm.

He smiled easily at her. "Would you mind keeping an eye on Victor for me, Alice, just for a few minutes? He's the golden retriever-"

"Oh, I know who he is," she interrupted knowingly. Then she blushed red, realising she'd inadvertently been unsubtle in showing her attention to both him and his dog on their visits to the park.

"Oh, good," Jane responded kindly. He pointed to a toilet block a few metres away. "Just need to use the restrooms, won't be a minute."

"Sure, no problem, ah...Patrick," she beamed.

"Thank you, Alice," he responded as he walked towards the white breeze block structure.

However, instead of sauntering into the block he walked around to the back of it instead and then past it completely, keeping to the tree line as he walked a semicircular path to the other side of the park.

He arrived behind the lone figure on the bench and smiled, satisfied they were still present and had assumed he was using the rest facilities as he'd anticipated.

Sitting down beside them with a cheerful sigh he greeted them breezily, "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

As they turned their head sharply in surprise he gaped in shock himself when his gaze travelled across their face. Any pithy remark about stalking immediately turned to dryness in his throat instead.

Green eyes stared back at him.

Not just any green eyes - green eyes he knew better than his own.

He recovered as he continued to stare at the slim woman sitting next to him with her mouth hanging open. "Um...I hope you don't take any offence by me asking you this question but...but aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Annie Lisbon gazed back at him, still noticeably startled. She ran her fingers over a gold cross necklace she wore as she swallowed hard.

"You know, your daughter has that same habit when she's nervous too," he added, smiling slightly and shaking his head in astonishment.

* * *

 **A/N: Couldn't resist an early cliffhanger! Thank you to all those who read and especially those who made the effort to review the first chapter. I'm thankful as ever for your support.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Coffee Date

"Your coffee."

Jane slid the large white cup towards Annie Lisbon before settling himself opposite her with a cup of tea at an outdoor table in a coffee shop not far from the park. Victor sat between their feet, eyes closed as he dozed after his earlier runabout.

"Thank you, Patrick," she replied. Her eyes darted back and forth as she picked up a packet of sugar in a pot beside her and shook it gently.

Jane observed her closely as he sipped his beverage. He could hardly believe how alike she was to her daughter in both looks and mannerisms. "Don't worry, I didn't call her when I was inside. Thought we should have a chat first."

She nodded gratefully. "I appreciate that. I-I know this is going to be an incredible shock to her."

"I can't imagine a greater one."

"You and Teresa...are you..." She glanced at Jane's left hand fleetingly, "Living together, then?"

"Yes."

She nodded slowly. "Are you...is-is she happy?"

He shrugged. "I'd like to think so, certainly."

She smiled and let go of a breath. "I don't know why I asked you that. I-I saw you all last night. And it was obvious how happy she was. Is."

"Just how long have you been watching us?"

"Just a couple of days but...but I only saw you and your dog at first. I was beginning to think I maybe had the wrong address."

"She was out of town. How did you get the address, by the way?"

"Public records office."

"She does like to file her paperwork promptly," he smiled.

After Annie took a few long sips as they chatted, Jane leant forward and pinned her with a stern gaze. "All right. Now I've given you time to get some much-needed caffeine into you – an addiction your daughter shares, by the way – I think it's time you tell me how the hell you're still alive. And why you haven't been in touch with your family for over twenty years."

She reddened immediately, pinned a lock of her bobbed greying dark chestnut hair behind her ear. "I suppose that's fair. How much do you know about what Teresa thinks happened to me?"

"She thinks you were killed by a drunk driver when she was twelve. Must say, you're looking remarkably spry, considering."

She looked away from his piercing gaze and stared ahead instead, voice distant as she explained quietly. "Did you know I used to be a nurse, Patrick?"

"Yes."

"Seems like a lifetime ago now." She turned towards him again and smiled sadly. "I suppose it was. So much time has passed. I've missed so much..."

A quick nod brought her back to the present conversation and she cleared her throat. "I worked in the Emergency Room at the time. It was...well, it was a crazy place to work. Still is, I imagine. Anyway, a patient came in one evening with a gunshot wound. It was a bad one. But, somehow, we were able to get him stitched up. Now, the normal practice in these cases-"

"Is for the police to be called. Yes, I know."

She smiled softly. "Of course you do. You know it's hard to believe my little girl is an actual FBI Agent. But then she always wanted to be a cop and to help people find justice. It's all she ever talked about since she watched Columbo one day."

Jane laughed softly as she continued, "So the man who came in with a gunshot wound...after he was settled into a room I went to check on him. I-I didn't knock...I mean, why would I? I worked there, right?"

Aware she was rambling on Jane leant forward and spoke smoothly. "Just keep to the facts and take your time, Annie. There's no rush."

"Thank you," she said with an exhalation. She took a long sip of coffee, hands shaking. "There was a man standing over him with a gun. I-I have no idea how he got in there."

"Like you said, ERs are crazy, busy. It'd be quite easy."

"Right, right. I was standing there with my mouth open for a second. I guess he didn't hear me. And then..."

She swallowed thickly, panic in her voice as she relived the memory.

Jane finished her sentence. "He shot him. Finished the job."

Tearfully, "Yes. And then it was like everything went into slow motion. I dropped some meds I'd brought in with me on a tray and he turned round and pointed the gun at me. I-I thought I was going to die. But then he calmly just put it away. Like he noticed then I was no one of consequence. No one that could harm him."

Anger ran over into her tone. "Like I was nothing."

She took a deep breath. "I was terrified but I managed to turn around. Intended to call the police, doctors, whoever..."

"But?" Jane enquired softly.

"But he grabbed me by my hair and pulled me back into the room. I-I can still smell him. All these years later I can still smell him. This cheap aftershave hit the back of my throat and I almost vomited. Probably shock of what I'd just witnessed too."

Jane placed his hand on hers. Calmly, "Did he-did he do anything to you?"

She patted his hand with a slight smile. "Sorry. I'm-I'm okay. No. Nothing physical. Thank god."

"But he threatened your family if you spoke to anyone about what he did."

She nodded. "Not just that. He made me get him some scrubs and help him escape."

"The gunshot wasn't heard?"

"He used a silencer."

"Why not just walk out like he walked in? Why did he need your help?"

"Because when I opened the door to leave he saw some people outside he needed help getting past."

"Associates of the man he'd shot. This was a gang against gang shooting."

She smiled, "You catch on quick."

"I'm a quick study, as they say. You helped him escape."

A curt nod. "Yes."

"But the other gang discovered you knew who shot one of their members?"

"Wouldn't take a rocket scientist, would it? They saw me exit the room."

"And then they threatened you if you wouldn't tell them who it was specifically?"

"Yes. But not me."

Jane shook his head at the irony. "They threatened your family too. Catch 22."

"Precisely."

"Why was it so important to them who it was? Why would it matter? Why not just take out any one of theirs in retaliation?"

"You'd need to ask them that. But the man who was shot was the son of one of the kingpins. Guess they wanted to know who it was so they could kill someone he cared about in reprisal."

"Hm. Best way to punish someone is not to kill them but to kill their family."

She inhaled sharply, spilling some coffee as she sipped it. "Yes."

"Sorry," he replied. "What happened next?"

Just as he asked the question his cell phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and glanced at Annie Lisbon. "Sorry, got to take this."

Panic filled her face when she saw Teresa's name on the screen.

Jane assured her with a wink as he answered the call. Easily, "Hey, how's it going back at the grindstone?"

He smiled at her response. "Sorry, got caught up. Might be some time. No, nothing wrong. Trouble? Me? What makes you think I'm forever getting into trouble, my dear?"

Lisbon's raised voice in return made him pull the phone away from his ear momentarily. "Oh. Abbott told you about that already, did he? Well, he's making quite the fuss over nothing. Caught the killer, didn't I? He's exaggerating. Freeway was only closed for two hours, not three while we located the cat in question."

Annie Lisbon's eyebrow arched in baffled amusement.

Jane continued, "Anyway, got to go. I'll try to pop in later if I get the chance."

At Lisbon's admonishment over his slapdash work ethic, he interrupted her, "Okay then, thanks for calling, love you, bye."

As he hung up the phone Annie stared at him for an explanation. When none was forthcoming as Jane drank his tea she said with a short laugh, "Reese always did have a bit of a temper. She gets it from her father. He was a bit of a hothead in his younger years too."

Jane blinked quickly. _His younger years?_

Clearly, the woman sitting opposite him had no idea of what had transpired between her husband and their children after she'd skipped town on her family.

This family reunion had just become a whole lot more complicated.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for all the lovely feedback for the first two chapters. More of Annie Lisbon's backstory will be provided in future chapters.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Shock

"There you are," Lisbon said as soon as she entered their house a few hours later. "I thought you said you'd stop by the office? What the hell happened to you? Too afraid to face me after that damn cat fiasco?"

Jane angled his head from stirring a pot of sauce on the hob to wave a greeting as Victor bounded up to her as she closed the front door. She knelt down to tickle the back of his ear as she stared at Jane for an explanation.

He called from the kitchen with a smile, "You couldn't handle things yourself? You know, you people really have become too accustomed to my help. You can't cope without me, can you? And what you fail to realise, my dear, is that I'm helping you learn how to manage tricky situations by my rather ingenious schemes. It's just as important a leadership skill as that course you've just been on. If not more so."

"Sheepdip." She rolled her eyes as she got back to her feet and marched to the kitchen, Victor trotting behind her, tail wagging. She dropped a peck to Jane's lips and muttered, "Jackass."

He grinned, "Good evening to you too, darling."

"So?"

"So?"

"What happened with purchasing the land? Was there some kind of issue with the Realtor?"

"No. Everything is on schedule." He eyed her approvingly. "You really want to build this house now, don't you? You've been thinking about gun safe design and your own shooting range all day, haven't you? Admit it."

She shrugged noncommittally as she picked up a chunk of carrot on a chopping board beside her and ate it as she averted her eyes from him. "More like thinking about all that land and somewhere I could hide your body without anyone ever finding it after the morning I had." Quietly with a blush, "But maybe building our own home isn't your worst idea ever."

He kissed the side of her head with a smile.

"So you're not going to tell me what happened to you today?" she asked again.

"After dinner."

She frowned as she noticed him bite down on his lower lip slightly as the words came out, the small intake of breath before he spoke. He'd taught her many things about body language and tells and these were pretty clear cut indicators. And the fact he, of all people, hadn't been able to cover them up sent her instincts on red alert. "Okay, what happened today?" she asked him with more determination. "Whatever it is, it's troubling you. Out with it."

He glanced at her, the worry in her expression tearing away at his reticence. "Okay, something did happen," he told her seriously. "Something...significant I do need to talk to you about."

Her heart rate picked up. "Patrick?"

He looked at the pot of sauce before him. "I thought I'd feed you first-"

"Patrick, you're frightening me now. What is it?"

He turned off the gas and led her to the soft beige couch in their living area.

"It's that terrible I need to sit down first?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. Not terrible. Just...surprising."

"O-kay."

He gazed at her for a long moment. "I've tried to come up with a way to tell you this that will take some of the shock out of it for you but, frankly, I don't think there is one so I'll just come out and say it." He licked his lips. Softly, "Teresa, your mother is alive."

She blinked rapidly as the words sank in. "What?" she finally uttered. Annoyed, "Patrick, this is not something you joke about."

"I'm not kidding."

His stern expression and curt nod made her breathing speed up. "H-How do you know this? It's not possible! Someone's playing a trick on both of us then! Who told you that?!"

He took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. Gently, "No, no one is playing a trick on us. This isn't a joke. I met her today, darling."

Her eyes widened further. "You're saying that you...that you met my dead mother today?"

He smiled a little. "Well, she's not dead or our conversation may have been a little less illuminating than it actually was."

She brushed off his hand and began to pace in front of the fireplace. "This is not happening. I'm dreaming, right?"

"No."

She stopped walking and stared at him. "You're really telling me the truth?"

He came to stand opposite her. "Yes, I am. She's alive. Your mother is alive, Teresa."

"How-how can you be sure it was her? That it wasn't someone pretending to be her?"

"The photographs you have of her, for one. And...your eyes. You have her eyes. It was...disconcerting when I met her at first. And the cheekbones. The same shape of head...I could go on but you get my point."

She let go of a breath. "People used to tell me that all the time about my eyes. Even after she died...at the funeral..."

She shook her head and stumbled over to the couch again before her legs gave way. "Tell me everything."

* * *

She sipped on the hot sweet tea Jane had prepared for her. She'd said little as he'd described his meeting with her mother. Finally, she spoke. "Why didn't she come here to talk to me? Why'd she talk to you instead?"

"Our meeting wasn't exactly planned. She intended to. She was just gathering up the courage, I believe."

"But you said you noticed her a couple of days ago-"

"I didn't know who she was. I couldn't see her face, just noticed a woman at the park and then last night outside the house."

"But you never said anything to me about any of that."

He coloured slightly. "I-I thought she might just be...um...another..."

Lisbon smiled faintly as she finished his sentence, "Another Patrick Jane groupie from your psychic racket days."

"Well...yes. After that woman tracked me to our last apartment last year I figured that's who she was in most probability. I was as surprised as anyone when I got a good look at her today at the park. I thought it would be someone I'd either have to give the brush off nicely to or take out a restraining order on." He chuckled softly. "My previous profession attracted all sorts of unwanted attention."

Lisbon raised an eyebrow, remembering the playboy she'd met two years prior. "And sometimes wanted attention too."

He shrugged. "That was then. Different now."

Lisbon nodded with a smile. "That woman last year almost gave me a heart attack when I found her inside the apartment."

"I think you frightened her more when you pulled your gun on her."

Lisbon laughed faintly. "She got off lucky. I could have arrested her. Or shot her."

After she took another long sip of tea Lisbon sighed loudly. "My mother," she stated quietly. "My mother is alive."

"Yes."

"I-I can't quite believe it."

Jane pulled out a card from his vest pocket and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. "This is where she's staying. Room 305. Her number is on the back. We agreed it was better for you to contact her when you were ready than have her show up here before you'd properly prepared yourself."

Lisbon picked up the small rectangular card slowly. "My brothers?-"

"She said she wanted to talk to you first. Think she's hoping that your presence will help when it comes to seeing them again."

"Does she know about my father? That he's dead?"

"Yes. She said she'd read about. I don't know when exactly. But..."

Lisbon's face snapped back to Jane's. "But what?"

Gently, "But she has no idea what happened after she left. She has no idea of the man he turned into. Of what he did to you and your brothers."

Lisbon reddened immediately and turned her head away from him. "Oh," she said simply.

A slow nod as she ran her fingers over the card. Tears gathered in her eyes. Hoarsely, "Do you know how often I wished I could see her again all these years? Even just one more time."

Jane put his arm around her. Tenderly, "And now you can."

She looked at him with watery eyes. "What do I say to her?"

"Well, I find _hello_ is as good a starting point for conversation as any," he smiled.

* * *

Jane pulled his car into the hotel's parking lot. Lisbon sat beside him quietly panicking as Victor lay on the back seat. "Thanks for driving me," she said.

"You were hardly in any fit state. Your hands are still shaking."

She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans with a deep exhalation. "I think I might throw up."

"Get out of the car first," Jane teased.

She looked at the midtown mid range red brick hotel in front of them. "Maybe I should have called her first."

"You still can."

Lisbon nibbled on her lower lip. "No. I-I need to see her. An awkward phone call would be worse."

"So quit stalling then," he smiled. "Go."

She unbuckled her seatbelt, hands shaking. She glanced at herself in the rearview mirror. "Do I look all right?"

He cupped her cheek and kissed her lightly. "Beautiful as ever." He smirked, "Now get the hell out of my car and go meet your mother, woman."

Smiling she kissed him back. "Okay. Wish me luck."

"Victor and I will be in the coffee shop across the street when you're done."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Eggshells & Explanations

Lisbon's knuckles hovered at the polished oak door opposite. The sound of a television inside meant she knew her mother lay just beyond its threshold. Palms sweaty, her stomach somersaulted and she fixed her clothes, smoothed her hair. She'd been on a blind date once and the same feelings of apprehension hit her - multiplied by ten thousand. She breathed in deeply, channelling a breathing exercise taught to her by Jane.

 _One._

 _Two._

She'd knock on three...

 _Three._

 _..._

 _Four._

 _Five._

She rapped the door with three knocks in rapid succession before she lost her nerve entirely and turned on her heel.

She shuffled her feet as if she might flee anyway, mirroring the sounds of shuffling inside.

The door opened slowly and she was met with a look of surprise by a face she thought she'd never see again.

"Reese," Annie Lisbon whispered, green eyes wide as saucers.

"M-Mom?" Lisbon responded in the same quiet tone of disbelief.

"Oh my god, my baby."

Then she was engulfed in a hug that took her breath away. Still in a state of shock her arms hung limply at her sides as her mother held onto her tightly. "Sweetheart," was repeated over and over through sobs.

She didn't remember how they made it back inside the room.

"I'm sorry," Annie Lisbon said, wiping her eyes with a tissue before blowing her nose after taking a shaky step back. "I promised I would give you some space until you could get used to seeing me again. But when I saw you..." She shook her head. "Teresa, you have no idea how much I've missed you."

Lisbon sniffed loudly, wiped her own tears that had flowed unbidden with her fingers. "I can't believe this is really happening. When Patrick told me he'd met you...I think half of me still didn't believe it could actually be you."

"Oh god your voice now...you sound so grown up."

Lisbon laughed softly. "I'm thirty four now, mom."

Addressing her like that made Lisbon tear up again and she exhaled loudly to stay composed.

Annie motioned to a couch in the room. "Sit down so we can catch up. Y-you want something to drink? Tea? Coffee? Ginger ale?"

Lisbon eyed the mini bar in the room. "Wine would be good."

Her mother frowned momentarily before her face relaxed into a smile. "Sure, of course. Sorry, gonna take me a while to remember you're not twelve anymore."

As they each sipped on some wine silently Annie eventually said, "So you have questions, I'm sure. About what happened. And...and you're probably angry with me about it, right?"

Lisbon shrugged and took a long sip from her glass. "No-No...Patrick said you thought you had no choice but to leave."

Despite her words of reassurance, there was a bite of irritation as she spoke.

She cleared her throat. "How did you manage it, though? There was a body buried. I went to your funeral."

Her mother sighed loudly. "He told you about what I saw?"

"Yes. He told me about the man who was shot. And who shot him. And the threats from both families afterwards. But I wouldn't let him explain the rest. I-I just wanted to see you first."

She nodded and patted her daughter's hand. "And I'm so pleased you did."

After another sip of wine she explained, "I had a good friend who worked in the Morgue at the Hospital. You wouldn't remember her. She never came to the house. But she was a good person, a good friend to me when I needed it most.

"She was the only one I told about the threats against you all. She found me in the bathroom at the hospital crying and I couldn't keep it to myself any longer. That morning...that morning a package had been delivered to my work. A-a knife. With a photograph taken of you at school the day before."

Lisbon's eyes widened. "Mom, you should have gone to the police. They could have helped you with a threat like that."

Annie wiped her eyes and shook her head. Wistfully, "I had already gone to the police, Teresa."

"Then I don't understand."

She faced her daughter. "I went to the police the day after you all were first threatened. I told a detective there what had happened. He said I had no evidence of a crime. Said I shouldn't file a report and that it would be a waste of time if I did."

Incredulously, "What?! That's-"

Calmly, "He was in their pockets, dear. It was a veiled threat to shut me up and do as I was told."

"Whose pockets? Which gang?"

"Does it matter now?" she sighed.

"Didn't you tell dad about any of this?"

Sheepishly, she shook her head. "No. I...I was afraid what he might do. Might turn a bad situation worse. You know he had a bit of a temper at times. And I was worried he might go to every bar in town to find the people who threatened his family and then where would we have been?"

Lisbon swallowed a large sip of wine. While her father's occasional violent outbursts were confined to a few bar brawls before her mother had left Jane had been correct. Her mother had no idea of the man he had turned into when he believed his wife was dead. She forced herself to get back to the subject at hand, burrowing that information and the feelings it produced deep inside.

"Couldn't you have gone to someone else at the precinct?"

"I might have. Thought about it. But when I got that knife the next day I couldn't take the chance of trusting anyone in law enforcement. It was too big a risk."

As a cop herself, Lisbon's temper flared. "I'd like to get my hands on that bastard you spoke to," she muttered.

"Hey, language, young lady!" her mother admonished.

Lisbon blushed. "Sorry. Go on."

"My friend and I talked it through for an hour. Any option we could think of to get me off the hook and keep you all safe. We couldn't figure a way out. Then I joked that it would be easier if I was dead. Something clicked for both of us once I'd said it. We realised that was the only way out of the mess I was in."

"Fake your death."

"It sounded like something out of a soap opera at first. Then, slowly, we worked out the details. How we could actually pull it off. We realised we could."

"And how did you?"

"A Jane Doe had come in that morning and they weren't hopeful of an ID. The poor woman was burned up in a fire and was thought to be a homeless person. Age and ethnicity largely matched my own. So we had a body. So then we just needed to stage a car crash."

"But it was a hit and run. You were in the car."

"Yes, I was. Along with the body. Morgue was closed but my friend had access."

"A missing body in the Morgue would have had to have been reported."

"The coroner had already filed their preliminary findings so it was to go into storage. My friend arranged that side of things. And I guess no one came looking afterwards. Or if they did they didn't link it to my 'death'."

Lisbon nodded, realising their plan. " _She_ was the one who ran you off the road."

"Yes. Well, made to look like she had. Gave my car a couple of bumps to sell it but I was in control at the wheel. Just had to find a ditch to steer it into. Which I did. After that...well, the rest was easy. I got out and we set fire to the car."

"But what about dental records? Identification? And didn't the coroner realise it was the same body? And any arson investigator would have been able to determine that the body in the car had already been in a fire that didn't match the-"

"Different coroner although it was burned twice so hardly recognisable second time around. Plus we..." A look of shame flitted across Annie's face. "We attached some of my clothes to the frame, just in case."

Lisbon gaped at her mother. She recovered enough to ask, "But what about-"

"Teresa, you're thinking like a modern day cop," her mother said softly.

She eyed her daughter appreciatively. "I'm so proud you found the career you always wanted, you know. Patrick told me that you were great at your job and that you love it."

Lisbon blushed faintly. "He might be a little biased in that regard."

"I doubt that somehow. Doesn't come across as the type to give praise that isn't warranted. Can I ask you about him, how you met-"

"Sure. But can we get to the end of your explanation first."

"Of course. It's...it's hard for me reliving it."

"It was hard for me losing a mother too," Lisbon snapped back without thinking.

She immediately went to apologise. "I-I'm sorry-"

"No, that's okay. You have every right to be angry. Every right to feel resentment for what I did."

She took a sip of wine as Lisbon's face nodded towards the floor.

"Okay. Okay," Annie exhaled as her fingers touched the cross she wore. She shrugged, "My friend did Martial Arts."

"What?! Do you know how insane this all sounds? Your friend helped you by beating you up?!"

"Not really. Just a well aimed punch. I had a loose molar at the back. It was worth it."

Lisbon shook her head. This was sounding more and more like one of Jane's ludicrous plans. "Still...Forensics would have checked the body, not just a loose tooth-"

Slightly exasperated, "Teresa, maybe that works these days and in the FBI but these were simpler times. My work clothes were in the car. It was my car. Body matched my description. It was a tragedy but police didn't have the resources to look into it more than that. Or perhaps, more likely, there was more than one crooked cop in that precinct. They'd have believed I was murdered because of what I saw a couple of days before. And known better than to ask too many questions about my death. Better to let sleeping dogs lie."

"That's...deplorable."

"Yes. But, in this case, it helped-"

"You escape," Lisbon snorted.

"Helped keep you all safe," her mother stated firmly. She raised her voice. "You think I wanted to run from you? You really think I wanted to abandon your father, you kids-"

Just then Lisbon's cell phone sounded in her pocket. She fished it out and saw Abbott's name flash up on screen. Gruffly, "Sorry, I'm on call. Gotta take this."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Shattered

The tap on the picture window to his side stopped Jane mid-mouthful of sandwich. Victor's ears pricked up and he looked over his shoulder at the noise as he rested at Jane's feet in the diner across from Annie Lisbon's hotel.

"Eat up, we're up," Lisbon mouthed with a determined nod of her head.

Jane sighed through a frown, hastily pushing the remainder of his dinner into his mouth followed by a large glug from a glass of water. Lisbon was sitting in the driver's seat and tapping her fingers impatiently on the steering wheel before he paid the check.

"Looks like a home invasion near Oak Park," she said as he got in the car and Victor hopped in the back.

She took off quickly, swerving through traffic with her eyes on the road.

"You really going to make me ask how it went?" he said a few moments later.

"Went fine," she said with a quick lick of her lips. "I mean...we didn't have much time together but it was fine. Just fine."

He muttered out of the window, "That's three 'fines'. Okay then."

She glanced in his direction. Irritated, "Well, what do you want me to say? It was...strange, you know. Surreal, even. It hasn't quite sunk in yet, Patrick."

"Fair enough. You know it's perfectly understandable to be angry at her, Teresa."

"I'm not!"

"Oh, so this sudden anger at me...you don't think it's misplaced then?"

"I'm not angry with you," she maintained.

He rolled his eyes. "So you have a problem with my sandwich eating now or my tardiness in finishing eating? Is that it? Because we were _fine_ before you went to see her."

She pulled up at a red light and loosened her tight hold on the steering wheel. She looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess a part of me is still angry with her for leaving us no matter the reason. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"It's okay. I'm used to your quick temper by now," he smiled.

"You like my quick temper sometimes," she said with a smile back.

His eyes glinted mischievously. "Hm. On occasions, I do like it when you boss me around and tell me off." More seriously, "How did you leave it with her?"

As the light ahead turned green she put her foot on the gas pedal. "We said we'd meet up again tomorrow. She still has a lot to tell me and explain."

"It'll get easier. There's bound to be an adjustment period."

"Yeah, maybe," she sighed. "But..."

"But?"

She shrugged. "But it felt different. She seemed...different to the woman I knew all those years ago."

"Well, you're not twelve again and she's older too. You both took different paths from where you were. You can't expect to have the same relationship as back then. Nor would you want to."

"Yeah, but...but she didn't even sound like I remember. And she was acting...different."

"The mind has a way of filling in blanks sometimes in memory. And of creating false facts built on that."

"Meaning I've fantasised who she was to me. Romanticised it in some way?"

"Yes."

She pondered for a couple of seconds then shook her head. "It doesn't feel like that. Or, at least, not just that."

"What, specifically, is different about her? Can you pinpoint it?"

"Her voice, accent, mainly."

"She hasn't been living in Chicago or anywhere near it for over twenty years by how she sounded to me. Accent is liable to change."

She huffed quietly. "Yes, I know that. But it's like..." She laughed, "She used to be quite...well, raucous as I remember. Fun loving. But now it's like she's stuck up. Kinda."

She blushed at speaking about her mother in less than flattering tones.

Jane replied, "Most likely she was on her best behaviour. Nervous. Can you say you were really yourself up there? Awkward situation for both of you, right?"

She nodded. "That's true. Yeah...yeah, maybe you're right."

"Did you ask her where she's been all these years? The life she's led? Could go to explain behavioural changes."

"We didn't get to that. But we definitely will tomorrow. I get why she felt she had to leave. But staying away all these years...that's a different matter."

* * *

They got back to their home at 2 am and proceeded straight to their bedroom.

Jane slid the jacket from his shoulders and hung it up in the wardrobe. "Well, that was depressing," he said with a yawn as he unbuttoned his vest.

Lisbon kicked off her boots and began to unbutton her blouse. "At least we caught the killer."

"Some days that's enough, eh," Jane replied wistfully, heading into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Lisbon removed the rest of her clothes and put on a fresh oversized football jersey. She sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up a bottle of hand cream. Silently she began to massage it onto her hands and lower arms. Her mind wandered to the meeting she had earlier and she sighed. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She'd been given a gift that anyone who had lost a much-loved parent would die to have. And here she was feeling more discombobulated than joyous.

"Don't think about it so much," Jane said, appearing in front of her, dressed in pants only. "And don't beat yourself up for not doing cartwheels, Teresa. You feel how you feel. Doesn't mean you'll feel that way forever."

She smiled up at him and knelt on the bed to put her arms around him. She kissed him as he held onto her waist.

"See?" he smirked, "You hated me when we first met and look at us now. You can't get enough of me."

"Well, you were an ass," she laughed before she kissed him again. He deepened it, hands crawling under her jersey. He lowered her onto the bed as they continued to kiss and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

As their kissing became more heated she flipped him onto his back and straddled him. "But you're right," she said, a seductive glint in her eye.

He blushed faintly. "Lucky me, then," he grinned.

As she giggled and grinded against him he blinked as a red spot suddenly appeared on her cheek. He had less than a second to respond as a bullet whizzed through their bedroom window and shattered it. He pulled on her back roughly to bring her close to his chest before toppling both of them to the far side of the bed and then off it onto the floor. A stream of bullets destroyed a floor lamp as more glass came raining down on the wooden floor of the room, sounding like hailstones as the pieces rattled against the boards. Lisbon crawled out of Jane's arms to fetch her gun from the nightstand.

As she went to pull away he grabbed her waist to stop her from moving closer to the street, "Are you crazy?!"

Breathlessly she freed herself, "Call 911. Just gonna take a look."

Seeing her intent on entering the fray he growled, "Wait!"

He pulled the bedside lamp from the nightstand beside him and quickly hurled it across the room, illuminating its path to the left side of the window until its cord was wrenched from the socket.

"Quickly, now, go right!" he panted at the same time as he chucked it left.

She smiled faintly and ran where instructed, keeping low to catch a glimpse through the window of the shooter below. A white van was parked on the other side of their street and she ducked as she saw the gunman in it trail a path of bullets to the left side of the property, obliterating a chest of drawers and wooden slatted blinds, tufts of mattress shooting into the air like cotton candy as bullets pounded into it.

Meanwhile, Victor was barking furiously at their bedroom door, paws scratching its wood to gain entry. Jane shouted an instruction to stay outside as he tried to keep one eye on Lisbon and another on retrieving his cell phone that had fallen under the bed. He crawled to a position of relative safety against the wardrobe to call the emergency services just as Victor bounded through the door finally.

"Come here, Vic!" he shouted at the top of his voice.

Victor stared at Jane and then at Lisbon. He went to take a step closer to her and Jane dragged himself from his hiding spot to pull on his collar. The dog whelped loudly as Jane pulled him back to safety. "Teresa!" he shouted over the barks and wails, "Come back here! Enough!"

His ears ringing it took him a second to realise the shooting had just stopped. "Got a partial on the van," Lisbon breathed, crawling back to him on all fours, attempting to avoid the larger shards of glass. She rubbed Victor's back soothingly upon seeing the wild worry in his eyes. "It's okay, buddy. I'm safe. I'm okay."

"Well, that's one of us," Jane replied with an eye roll. "What the hell were you thinking-?"

He stopped talking as he noticed her eyes drawn to his stomach and the blood staining its tanned skin. "Oh my god, Patrick! You've been hit!" she whispered tearfully, grabbing the cell phone in his hand to call an ambulance.

Jane frowned as he looked at the same spot she was staring it and touched it gently for any indication of injury. It was possible adrenalin was restricting pain's immediate onslaught. Then his eyes widened with concern as he gingerly moved Victor away from his body to get a better look. Hoarsely, "It's not my blood, Teresa. It's Victor's."

* * *

 **A/N: Yes I am that cruel leaving it there! (I did forewarn that there would be some angst). By the way, appreciate all the comments for the first few chapters. Both good and not so good it's better to get a reaction and some widely differing opinions than none at all, I guess! Thanks for reading.**

 **And for those who've asked I haven't abandoned Reconnect, I am working on it. Formulating a Jane plan is one thing but actually writing it something entirely different for me I'm afraid. Thank you for your patience.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you for your continued interest. Also, an apology to fellow The Mentalist fanfic writers, I am way behind in reading updates (think I have around 20 to get through never mind checking out new stories). I will get there as soon as I can, I promise. I really do appreciate everyone who continues to write and keeps this world alive.**

* * *

Chapter 7 - Waiting

Lisbon paced the waiting room at the Emergency Vet Surgery. Arriving there after 2 am it was deathly quiet and the sound of her boots _click-clacking_ across the tiles was wearing on Jane's already nonexistent patience.

"Teresa, please," he sighed, nodding to her choice of footwear.

She took a seat beside him and almost immediately her left leg began to shake as she bounced on the tips of her toes. He rolled his eyes and got to his feet. "How long did they say?" he asked for the second time, looking towards the area in front of them where Victor had been taken upon their arrival.

After they'd dressed in whatever they could find at hand (jeans and T-shirts) and gently placed a whining Victor in Lisbon's arms, Jane had driven like a madman to the clinic (Lisbon, for once, with no admonishment for his driving speed). Lisbon had called Abbott about the attack on their home as she cradled their dog and caressed him lovingly. Abbott had immediately set about the process of calling her team in and sending Forensics to the house to pick up shell casings and interview neighbours.

"Patrick, you know they said it might take a while depending on where the bullet lodged," she told him gently.

"It's already been a while," he shot back.

He sat down beside her again and sighed. She touched his knee. "Hey, he's strong. And willful just like his owner. He'll be okay." Administering that comfort wasn't wholly for her boyfriend's sake.

"Yeah, because bad things never happen, right? We see that they do every single day," he muttered. He got to his feet again, a ball of nervous energy. "And what the hell were you thinking going to the window like that?"

"You know what I was thinking. I wanted to get some kind of ID. And you think I don't feel guilty enough about what happened? I don't need you to tell me it was my fault. I know it was," she snapped.

He exhaled loudly and ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't say it was your fault," he replied softly. "It's not, okay?"

She shrugged noncommittally, tears in her eyes as she looked away from him.

"Did you get a plate? Is that what you said earlier?" he asked a second later. "You give it to Abbott? I was a little preoccupied when you called him on the way here."

"I only got a partial. But yeah. We'll see what pops up."

"Teresa, your mother-"

"I asked Abbott to have someone bring her to the office. Bit of a coincidence that this happens the same night she reappears in my life."

"I concur, it's suspicious."

He sat down again and put his arm around her. "Sorry for biting your head off. My life was so much easier before I got attached to that mutt." He kissed the side of her head gently. "And you."

She laughed softly. "Tell me about it."

"You want my help?" he asked a few minutes later as they drank insipid beverages from a vending machine.

"With what?"

"The plate?"

She frowned. "How do you mean?"

"Well, you did see the whole plate. You only remember a partial. So-"

"No. I don't want you to hypnotise me. I've been lucky enough to avoid it with you so far and and I don't want it happening now."

He smirked, "How would you know? I could have hypnotised you every day I've known you and then wiped your memory clean of the event afterwards."

She arched an eyebrow. "Well, that would certainly explain why I'm still dating you after all this time."

He laughed softly and took her hand. "He's gonna be okay, right?" she asked.

He looked at the double doors ahead of them she was staring at. "Of course he is."

He released her hand and turned fully towards her. "Okay, then. So, you ready?" He stared into her eyes.

"I said no to hypnosis-"

"Yeah, you're right. You're probably too hyped up right now anyway for it to work. Far too many things running through your mind. Over and over. Over and over. You're too upset. You couldn't possibly be hypnotised right now. It's impossible for me to hypnotise you right now. It just can't be done, Teresa. There's too much on your mind."

He watched as her eyes became glassy and smiled as he said the word "Sleep." Her eyes shut he rested her against the back of the plastic bucket seat she was sitting in and straightened her up as she slumped slightly to one side. He smiled as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You have no idea of the restraint I've had to maintain to not try that before now," he said. He sighed, "And I wish it was under better circumstances where I could have some fun with it."

More seriously, "Teresa, can you hear me?"

She mumbled an affirmative response.

"I need you to think back to the van you saw earlier and the number plate specifically..."

* * *

"I can't believe you hypnotised me," she glared as she got off the phone with Wylie a few minutes later.

He shrugged. "I'm surprised you're surprised. Besides, I needed the distraction." His gazed extended to the double doors in front of them again.

"Yeah, well, if you've implanted some suggestion whereby I get naked at the drop of some word from you I am going to murder you."

"Damn, next time I must remember to add that," he winked.

She huffed and sat down beside him. "Wylie ran the plate. Van reported stolen yesterday."

"Hmm. Traffic cams?"

"He's accessing them now."

Just then the double doors opened and both of them stood up in sync. An attractive petite blonde woman in her early thirties met them.

"How is he?" Lisbon asked.

The vet looked at Jane with a smile and then at Lisbon. "Why don't you come see for yourself?"

* * *

Lisbon scratched the back of Victor's ear and grinned at him as Jane inspected the bare patch of fur where they'd stitched him up after removing the bullet. He ran his fingertips over it gently. Their dog's eyes sparkled briefly in recognition of his owners as they greeted him in the recovery room followed by a slow _whoosh_ of his tail.

"He's really going to be okay?" Jane asked, glancing at the vet.

She produced a perfect white smile. "Absolutely, Patrick. He's going to be groggy for a while and he'll need medication, antibiotics, etc., but he's a tough one. I'd like to keep him here just for a day or two, make sure everything is healing up well." She tilted her head to the side and placed a hand on his. Softly, "Don't worry, okay? You can come by any time to see him if you're concerned."

Lisbon just held back an eye roll. No matter where they went her boyfriend got hit on. Well, perhaps not everywhere...but it was close.

"Thanks, doctor," she interjected briskly. "Did you save the bullet like I asked?"

The other woman, who had seemingly forgotten Lisbon was in the room with them momentarily, became flustered and withdrew her hand quickly from Jane's at Lisbon's fierce look. Being an intimidating cop was such a blessing sometimes.

Jane glanced at her sideways with a smirk as the vet turned her back on them to retrieve the bullet. She let loose the eye roll she'd been holding back.

* * *

"I'll get this to Forensics," she said as they exited the building as dawn approached. She shoved the bullet encased in a clear plastic vial into her jeans pocket.

"Good. But not what you want to discuss," Jane grinned.

She shot him a glare but said nothing as they arrived at his car that had mercifully been spared any damage. Her Cadillac, however, hadn't been so lucky parked beside it and would need to be taken to the Shop or the Demolition Yard depending on when they assessed how badly it was hit.

She opened the passenger door and finally exploded, "Okay. Can you believe that woman?! She should be reported for unprofessional behaviour like that! I mean, seriously, our dog got shot and she was more concerned with batting her eyelashes at you. I'll tell you, I'm calling every couple of hours to make sure he's being looked after properly."

He grinned with a twinkle in his eyes. "There we go."

When they got inside she whacked him on the arm.

"Ow! What did I do?"

"Don't enjoy it so much."

He started the engine with a chuckle. "Maybe if I had a ring on my finger it would help keep the wolves at bay."

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

Abbott greeted them as they exited the elevator at Headquarters. "There you are. How are you both?" he asked with concern.

"We're fine," Lisbon replied for the two of them.

Jane glanced at her sideways, his mouth open in a different response of his own. "We're fine. _Apparently_."

"Thank God. Victor okay?"

"Yeah, he'll be all right."

"Glad to hear it, he's part of the family around here too. Now, I don't want you both going back to that house anytime soon. I'm getting a place set up for you until we get to the bottom of this."

"I'm sure we'll be-," Lisbon started.

"Thanks, Dennis," Jane interjected.

Sensing the worry in Jane's speech she let the matter go. He was right. It was too close a call to take chances on returning to their house until they knew more. Her thoughts turned to her mother's wellbeing. "Boss, did someone collect-?"

"Yes, they're in Conference Room 2. They're resting but I'm sure they'd appreciate seeing you," he said with a warm smile in Lisbon's direction. "Been asking if you are both okay. Quite the turn of events tonight, huh?" He went to move past them, "Look, I'll catch up later but right now I have a meeting with Brass-"

Confused, "I'm sorry. _They_?"

Abbott looked from Lisbon to Jane who were both wearing frowns. He spoke slowly. "Yes. Your mother and your sister. I know you mentioned only bringing your mom here but I presumed you'd want to bring both here until this attack on you is investigated further."

With that, he turned and headed towards the elevator.

Lisbon was staring at it long after its doors closed. Eventually, "Did he just say-?"

"Yep, it's not sleep deprivation. He sure did," Jane responded brightly as he bounced on his toes.

Deadpan, "And now I have a sister," she confirmed with a shake of the head.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Glimpses

She gawked through the blinds surreptitiously, Jane peering over her head to catch a glimpse of the new family member she just discovered she had.

"Definitely your sister. Same bone structure as both you and your mother. Same petite frame."

"What age would you say? Late teens?"

"Age is easy to determine. Your mother was pregnant when she faked her death. So early twenties."

She turned to him quickly. "She told you that?!"

"Not at all. I didn't know you had another sibling until you just did. I _might_ have mentioned that to you if I'd known, don't you think? Your mother didn't mention her earlier when you talked, then?"

Pithily, "No. _I_ might have mentioned it if she had, wouldn't I?"

She exhaled, "She said we had a lot of important stuff to discuss still when we got called to that case. I didn't even get the full story of where she went or what she's been doing all these years. And I guess _this_ was one of the important items on her list." She shook her head in consternation. "You really think she's my full sister?"

"I think so. Makes sense, doesn't it?" He nodded to the young dark haired woman in the room opposite who was sleeping on a couch while Lisbon's mother dozed in a chair beside it. "She's the right age. And judging by her looks she has the same genes as you. Your mother not only felt protective of you and your brothers but of the baby she was carrying too."

He added, "Well, that part is supposition. Perhaps she didn't know she was pregnant until after she ran."

Lisbon sunk back to the comfort of the wall beside the window. "I can't believe this is suddenly my life."

"Whole new family, huh? If we ever do get married my side of the church is going to look decidedly sparse, my dear. I may have to resort to playing nice with people around here to ingratiate myself. Buy doughnuts and so on. Become more... _copish_ to fit in."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like _that_ will ever happen. And like I don't already have trouble enough with my current family." She stammered immediately, "I-I didn't mean it like that. It's just..."

More seriously, "It's a lot to take in. Yes. Well, you best go introduce yourself," he suggested. "And get the rest of the story from your mother on the people who threatened her back in Chicago. If this involves her they've waited over twenty years to attempt to get their revenge. And travelled all the way to California to try to get it."

"How would they know she was back from the dead and had contacted me so quickly?"

"Maybe she wasn't as careful as she thought she was once she made that decision. Maybe she talked to someone in your old neighbourhood back in Chicago to find out where you were now. You won't know until you ask her."

She rubbed a hand across her forehead. "And maybe this has nothing to do with her coming back at all. Maybe it's entirely unrelated and just because I'm a cop and put someone away years back. Okay, you want to meet...oh jeez, I don't even know her name...?"

"Later. I'll go back to our place, grab us some clothes to take with us to whatever safe house Dennis is lining up."

"Take someone with you."

"Teresa-"

"We don't know who the intended victim was or why yet, Patrick. You piss enough people off, maybe they were aiming for you."

"Thanks for that." He could hardly refute her point. "But fair enough."

As he went to leave she grabbed his arm quickly. "Be careful. Okay?"

He smiled warmly at her and pecked her lips. "You too." He smirked through the window. "And good luck with the family reunion."

* * *

Jane was almost asleep, lulled by soft whirring of the SUV's engine when Fischer's words made him draw himself back from the brink of oblivion. "Glad you're all okay. That was a close call earlier."

He answered her sleepily without opening his eyes, "Hm."

"So, Lisbon's mom, huh? And a sister?! Just like that? Quite the shock."

He grunted as he woke himself up. Fischer was in a chatty mood so a nap would have to wait. He yawned as he opened his eyes, "Yep."

"How's she dealing with it?"

"Oh, you know Lisbon. Taking it all in her stride."

She laughed softly. "Liar. This _has_ to be freaking her out."

He chuckled as he looked out the side window. "I don't think she's had much time to get to the freaking out stage just yet."

Bored after less than a minute's silence (and to punish her for waking him up), he turned to watch Fischer, keen on any type of entertainment to keep himself awake. "So, how's the new man in your life working out?"

She glanced at him quickly. "W-What?!"

She was such an easy read now he knew her better. He smirked at her for a response, eyes twinkling mischievously.

She whispered, "Lisbon _told_ you about him?"

"Of course not. My girlfriend would never betray a confidence."

"So then who did?"

"Ah...you did. Just now. Well, confirmed my suspicions. Two weeks now, is it?"

She gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Smart ass."

"So?" he pushed.

"None of your damn business."

"Oh." He nodded thoughtfully. He let the silence hang in the air for a few moments. "Well, I'm sorry you had an argument tonight. Hope you can both work it out."

Shocked, "I..."

She pursed her lips together in a tight line and shook her head.

He smiled broadly as he looked out the window again, knowing her patience would run out quickly. He counted down in his head. _5-4-3-2-1._

"Okay, how did you know we had an argument tonight?" she asked, right on cue. "Because I didn't tell _anyone_ about that."

"Your demeanour, for one. And you're talkative at this hour after your sleep was disrupted. Normally you're like Teresa, bear with a sore head until your first caffeine fix when called into work from the comfort of her bed. Your mind is on your fight so you needed to talk to distract yourself from it."

"So because I was concerned my colleagues were targets of a shooting earlier you determined I had a fight with my...friend?"

He grinned, "Ooh. Guess it's too soon for the _boyfriend_ word just yet, is it?"

She rolled her eyes and focused on driving again. "You really are an ass. I don't know how Lisbon puts up with you."

"Meh. She's lucky to have me."

She scoffed, "Oh, really?"

As they drove on she sighed loudly.

"Maybe I can help," he suggested.

"With my love life? No thanks. You'd just make things worse for sport alone."

"Hm. Maybe. But Teresa would kick my ass if I did so that's something of a double-edged sword. Come on, spill, Kim. A problem shared and all that."

Sometimes it was better just to give in to Jane. Of course, he knew that and would use the tactic of gentle bullying to his benefit. But she also reasoned that he and Lisbon had been in a committed relationship for over two years now so he must know _something_ about holding on to personal relationships.

"He told me...he told me he loved me earlier," she whispered. Embarrassment washed across her face.

"Ah. That was quick."

"That's what I said!" she agreed.

He chortled. "So you didn't say it back?"

"Of course not. It's far too soon. And then he got all moody about it and it ruined our dinner."

"Hm."

"What?"

He opened his mouth to speak then closed it again. Then, "What does the passage of time matter?"

"Huh?"

"I don't get that. If you love someone you know it. And when you know it then why not say it? Why does it have to be after some socially acceptable waiting period? Do you love him?"

"I-I don't know. I haven't even thought about it, Jane."

"So think about it now."

She arched an eyebrow. "You want me to decide if I love someone just like that."

"Yeah. Gut instinct, it's your best tool. Do you love him? Yes? No? Not yet? Never?"

She sighed, "How the hell should I know."

"I told you how. You want me to tell you the answer?"

"You're going to answer a question I don't even know the answer to myself yet?" She laughed lightly. "Go on then, Boy Wonder, I _have_ to hear this."

With absolute certainty, "Not yet is your answer. You have to get to know him better. That's what you think. You're cautious so you need more time before you can say it back."

She was about to rebuke him but then turned her proposed mocking into a questionable frown. "I-I think you might be right. How the hell did you know that? Are you sure you're not really psychic?"

"Pretty sure. I just gauged your response to the options I handed you. You were more agreeable to 'Not yet' than any of the others. Easy."

"Wow," she said with a shake of her head. "Damn, you're good."

"Yep," he stated proudly.

She drove them up to the yellow tape that cordoned off his house, sets of flashing red sirens outside his house as Forensics and Police investigated. "We're here."

* * *

 **A/N: Apologies for the delay in updating my fics lately, I lost a close family member last week so just getting back to writing again and dipping my toe in its waters gently with this short & mostly plotless update. Hopefully better stuff ahead. Thank you for reading as always.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Walking on Glass

Jane breathed deeply upon entering their bedroom. Fortunately, Forensics had gathered any evidence of the shooting already and Abbott had ordered someone to board up the windows until replacement panes could be found and fitted. But glass shards still littered the wooden boards, covering their bedding at its centre like an ice storm had hit it. Chunks of wood from the dresser, wardrobe and a nightstand lay like kindling alongside.

He'd been so hyped up on getting everyone out of there earlier he hadn't had time to appreciate the complete devastation of what he had formerly considered the safest place in their murder infested world. The place now looked like a dark and distant memory of its former cheery and cosy self. Instead of muted sleep inducing colours it was now the opposite – a dark shadowy world that would surely induce nightmares.

"You okay?" Fischer asked quietly as she stood in the doorframe watching him as he stood in the middle of the room.

He realised he hadn't covered up the dread currently rising in him and the fear of what might have occurred earlier quickly enough in his expression. He beamed a smile at her he struggled to bring to his eyes. "I don't think we'll be getting the security deposit back, do you?" he quipped.

Unconvinced, she laughed softly. "No. I'd say not."

He averted his gaze from her increasingly pitying one and went to work on grabbing a couple of holdalls and some clothes from a drawer. He opened a drawer and a small square box fell to the floor and rolled towards Fischer's feet. She picked it up and arched an eyebrow at the unmistakeable black velvet jewellery box.

"Thanks," Jane said, grabbing it out of her hand and placing it in his holdall without looking at her.

"I won't tell," she teased, pleased to lighten the depressive mood that had settled on the room. She knew how to battle Jane and needle him but she had no idea how to be sympathetic when he showed emotions openly. That was Lisbon's job, thankfully. Bickering and one-upmanship was much safer ground for both of them.

"Tell what exactly?" Jane said, shoving some underwear into a bag with his back to her.

A smile in her voice, "You know what."

He could tell she was grinning like the cat who got the cream. She continued, "But you should be careful where you hide that thing, pretty easy for Lisbon to find it just shoved into a drawer like that."

"Hm. It is a pretty terrible hiding place."

He let his words hang in the air as he turned and shot her an enigmatic look as he fetched some toiletries from the bathroom.

She was still frowning when he returned. "You haven't figured it out yet? Oh, come on, Kim, try a little harder."

She spoke with uncertainty. "She already knows about the ring. You already asked her to marry you."

"Bravo," he stated, grabbing a suit from the wardrobe and double checking it for bulletholes.

"She turned you down?!"

He sighed loudly and faced her fully with both eyebrows raised and a gentle smile. "Go on, take your best shot. Not often you see me fail at something. Get it over with."

To his surprise she blinked rapidly at him instead, more intrigued than set on revenge for his many misdeeds and tricks against her. "Why did she say no?" she asked simply.

He tried to get them back on an even keel, back to the comfort of gentle ribbing. "Why does that matter? You think she's too good for me, anyway, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, naturally...but you two are good together. That's obvious to anyone."

Unsettled by her truth finding instead of a rigorous bout of mocking he shrugged slightly. "She didn't say no, exactly. She just..." Another shrug. "Anyway, doesn't matter. Not really a priority at the moment."

He grabbed both bags, a suit hanging over his arm. Brightly, "Okay, all set. Let's get out of here, shall we?"

* * *

"M-Mom?" Lisbon said, tapping Annie Lisbon's shoulder slightly. The word still sounded foreign to her ears after all the years apart. When she'd entered the room quietly she took in her mother's features unobserved for the first real time since she'd seen her again. More pronounced lines etched the once familiar face that hadn't been there years ago, her hair coarser and shorter than she recalled as she touched it lightly. She'd filled out slightly but was still as slim and slight as she remembered. Smaller, even, now that she was an adult herself. Her gaze extended to her sister, one cheek showing and covered from her neck by a blanket draped over her. Her mother had done that, she knew. Just like she used to do with her first daughter when she was sick or tired too. Unbidden resentment bubbled up in her that she shook her head in an attempt to release and to rationalise. That's when she woke her mother, her own emotions and how to deal with them could wait. Now she needed some answers.

"T-Teresa?" Annie croaked, green eyes meeting Lisbon's. She jumped up quickly from the chair and hugged her tightly. "Oh my god, sweetheart, thank god you're okay!" With her hands on both of Lisbon's upper arms she assessed her like the nurse she once was. "Are you okay? They told me you were but-"

"I'm fine. Honestly."

She battled to release herself from the embrace. Suddenly she was stifling hot and couldn't breathe. She took a long step back to catch her breath. In addition to seeing her mother's shocked and vaguely hurt expression in doing so she saw her sister sleepily open her eyes, another carbon copy of her mother's and her own.

"Hi," the younger woman said sheepishly. "You're Teresa."

"Hey," Lisbon responded quietly. She glanced at her mother. "I'm sorry. I-I don't know your name, I'm afraid. I had no idea you even existed, in fact." She was ashamed immediately after she said it but she meant the dig to hurt, her emotions battling to allow for much politeness.

"I'm sorry," Annie cut in. "This-this is Hope, Teresa."

"Hope," Lisbon repeated.

"Hi," Hope replied sheepishly, moving off the couch to stand awkwardly opposite her. "It's...it's good to meet you, Teresa."

Lisbon nodded slowly, grateful the young woman didn't come closer but stowing away the piece of information just imparted. So, while Hope was a secret from Teresa, Hope was aware she had a sister. But for how long? Forever? Or was the knowledge of a sister just a recent development for her too?

Lisbon tried to smile, "Good to meet you too."

Their mother laughed with unease. "This is something I've waited for a long time," she said, tears brimming. "My two girls finally together."

Lisbon felt her temper rising again. Why hadn't they met long before now? Why had her mother stayed away for so long? Why had she allowed one daughter to grow up with a mother and the other without one? More questions raged through her head all battling for dominance. She suddenly felt like that same teenager abandoned all over again and wanted nothing more than to act accordingly - to stomp her feet, yell, cry, break something. She had to get out of the room before she burst into tears and allowed the mixed emotions she was experiencing to spill out in some kind of contemptuous rant.

She quickly realised it was going to be impossible for her to take their statement in her current state, she wasn't thinking clearly and the magnitude of the events of the past seven hours (was it really only seven hours?!) was beginning to hit her hard.

She managed some civility, acutely aware she was treating her mother like any other witness to a crime, speaking to her with the same calm professional distance practiced over years in law enforcement. "I-Actually, I just popped in to say hello. I have some work to do. But I'll have one of my team take a statement from you in a few minutes, mom."

Surprised, "You-you can't do it? I'd like to explain-"

"No. I-I have some other stuff I need to attend to. I'll grab Agent Vega. She's excellent, really and she'll take good care of you."

Disappointed, "O-okay then. And then what happens?"

"We keep you both safe until we eliminate what happened to you in Chicago as a motive for the attack on myself and Patrick."

"I-I can't believe this might be my fault, Reece. If I'm to blame for you-"

"Let's get your statement, shall we? We don't know anything yet," she interjected before her mother was a sobbing mess.

* * *

"Vega," she called to the young agent as soon as she entered the bullpen, a quick pit stop to the bathroom required beforehand to fully compose herself back into FBI agent mode from resentful child.

The young woman jumped up from her seat immediately. "Yes, ma'am."

She rolled her eyes. "I've told you before to either call me Boss or Lisbon, Vega."

"Y-Yes. Sorry, Boss."

She barked out her orders to interview her mother.

"You want me to do that?" she asked, surprised. "I know you haven't had much time to talk to them yourself and I thought maybe you'd have liked the opportunity to catch up-"

Wylie, at his computer, glanced up momentarily and shook his head. Vega was heading for trouble. He'd been working for Lisbon a little longer than she had and still had to earn her respect never mind question her orders.

"It's not your job to decide assignments, Agent," Lisbon stated firmly. "You have a problem with what I'm asking you to do or should I ask someone else and assign you to filing duty?"

"No! No, ma-, Boss. Of course not."

Gruffly, "Get to it then."


End file.
